Stronger Communities Group

THIS GROUP HAS NOW BEEN MERGED AND IS NOW PART OF THE PEOPLE & PLACES GROUP.

To take responsibility for gathering intelligence, identifying issues and analysing trends and continue to review and update the data/targets. Co-ordinating cohesion action by partners, including monitoring of delivery of a strategy and action plan for community cohesion in Charnwood that co-ordinates partner response to Government guidance such as that arising from the “Our Shared Future” report and “Communities in Control” white paper.

1. To encourage activities that promote and develop a sense of belonging for local communities, particularly targeting those groups that are most disaffected.
2. To encourage partners to ensure that the reasons for policy and action are transparent, well understood and widely communicated so as to avoid conflicts within and between communities.
3. To promote working together to develop small-scale programmes that help to break down barriers and build relations between different communities, for example by encouraging festivals, events, and service programmes to encourage greater understanding of the communities that live in Charnwood.
4. To support joint working to create new ways of increasing participation in services for those not currently accessing services and events.
5. To identify people who are active citizens, and organisations acting as ‘community anchors’ who are already working with issues. Thereby, seek to acknowledge local dynamic, focus on individuals, and reinforce and build the capacity of communities to empower them to deal with issues themselves.
6. To engage in dialogue with the media to develop an understanding of community cohesion issues, as a basis for influencing public perception on specific cohesion issues.
7. To support joint planning to ameliorate the potential effects that could be experienced by a sudden influx of new arrivals to an area – either via new developments, or international events.
8. To promote greater positive interaction between young people and adults in ‘hot spot areas’ to address intergenerational conflict and seek to develop greater understanding, support and mutual respect.
9. To promote greater contact and joint working between young people and adults from different neighbourhoods in order to address the issues of ‘territorial and/or cultural isolation’ as identified in the report.

Strategic Objectives within remit

• SO3 - to secure the provision of accessible facilities and services to meet the needs of all local people, having regard to the particular needs of the young, old and “hard to reach”.
• SO5 - to promote stronger, cohesive and balanced communities having regard to changes in demographics, for example influencing the type of housing provision.

In addressing SOs 3 & 5 have regard to:

• SO9 - to protect the historic environment and identity of the Borough’s locally distinctive towns, villages and neighbourhoods.
• SO13 -To create distinctive and quality places for local people by requiring high design and increasingly higher environmental standards in new development and by encouraging improvements in existing properties to be more environmentally friendly.
• SO17 - to meet needs for homes, including affordable housing in line with regional requirements.

Priority Places for this Group's work

• Loughborough, Shepshed, Birstall, Syston, Thurmaston, Anstey, Mountsorrel and wherever else as identified in the future.
• For further information see the action plan.
• Priority Neighbourhoods – East Loughborough, West Loughborough, Mountsorrel, South Charnwood (parts of Syston and Thurmaston).

Related Documents & Information